I went from the kitchen to the bar. I was on the line, making sauces, making soups. That helped me with making cocktails. I know what flavors work with other flavors.

What is it like working in a place with this much history?

Every time I go by the Count Arnaud's mansion, it's like nodding at the ghost. I like to think that I'm keeping his spirit going. You choose your history. I like Arnaud's, and I know that if I keep our name out there we're not resting on our laurels.

What makes a good bartender?

A good bartender fits the bar. If you come here, you're not going to expect someone who works at Razzoo's. You're going to expect someone like me who knows the history of the restaurant, the city and the drinks that I'm making.

The Melpomene Daiquiri

What are the classic cocktails of New Orleans?

Obviously the Sazerac, the Vieux Carre, the Ramos gin fizz, absinthe Suisse and La Louisiane. My favorite one, which I like to think that I can take credit for, is the Rouffignac. One time this lady from Austria came in, she had this guidebook and it had the Rouffignac in it. I had never heard of it. I went to the Historic New Orleans Collection exhibit on restaurants. There I saw a cocktail book, and that's where I got the Rouffignac.

Do people often order those classic drinks?

People are asking for the same five drinks. Locals will do it as well as tourists who have read about what they have to drink here. The locals, though, they're not ordering it to inquire about it. They're ordering it because that's what they're used to. You can tell by the way they ask.

David Grunfeld / The Times-PicayuneThe French 75 Bar at Arnaud's

How does the cocktail culture in New Orleans compare to other cities?

We can't have all these other towns making drinks and us not. I don't think I'm suiting up every day for battle to defend New Orleans, but I am making sure that anyone who comes here is going to have a drink they've never had before. And that way, we can stay up there with New York and San Francisco and Chicago.

What makes a good drink?

For me it is something that I can offer the guests, they're going to like it and it's something they haven't had before. If there is a story to go along with it, and there usually always is, that makes it the perfect cocktail experience.

How do you create a new drink?

It's a lot of reading. You also have to pay attention to what is going on in the seasons. You have to know about what's available for the fruits and such. And then you have to figure out what's worked before and how to modify it.

Are there drinks that you hate to make?

There is only one that I don't like, and that's the mojito.

What's wrong with the mojito?

It's just not classic. It's refreshing, and that's cool and all. But when I muddle mint, I want to do something historic. I'd rather do the mint julep. The mojito brings me down.